Universal supporting and driving apparatus for pipe subjected to threading



BEHNKE 3,413,667 SUPP ING AND DRIVING APPARATUS PIPE SUBJECTED TOTHREADING Dec. 3, 1968 UNIVERSAL FOR Filed Aug. 1, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheetfuvewrae. A'bwaeo A. BEHNKE y M44 wyz a firroezvsvs.

Dec. 3, 1968 H. N. BEHNKE UNIVERSAL SUPPORTING AND DRIVING APPARATUS FORPIPE SUBJECTED TO THREADING 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 1, 1966fivvE/vrae. Han/42o M Ram/Ks firroeusvs.

Dec. 3, 1968 H. N. BEHNKE 3,413,667

UNIVERSAL SUPPORTING AND DRIVING APPARATUS FOR PIPE SUBJECTED TOTHREADING Filed Aug. 1, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

' fVVENTOl? /lbwoeo M BEAM/K5 IOTTOENEVS'.

Dec. 3, 1968 H. N. BEHNKE 3,413,567

UNIVERSAL SUPPORTING AND DRIVING APPARATUS FOR PIPE SUBJECTED TOTHREADING Filed Aug. 1, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 fvvewrae. Afawoeo /I/.BEHNKE ww z W UNIVERSAL SUPPORTING AND DRIVING APPA- RATUS FOR PIPESUBJECTED TO THREADING Howard N. Belmke, Monterey Park, Calif, assignorto Collins Machinery Corporation, Monterey Park, Calif.,

a corporation of Caiifornia Filed Aug. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 569,143 12Claims. (Cl. 1089) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure concernsportable apparatus for centering and rotating workpieces, such as pipeto be threaded, and in which work gripping jaws have work releasepositions in which each jaw is elongated in a direction normal to anaxial radial plane, the jaw being rotatable by a lever extendingradially in that jaw position, the lever being spaced from the jaw.

This invention relates generally to apparatus for centering and rotatingworkpieces such as pipe to be threaded, cut or otherwise subjected to aforming operation. More specifically it concerns improvements over thesubject matter disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 335,587entitled, Universal Supporting and Driving Apparatus for Pipe subjectedto Threading, filed Jan. 3, 1964 now Patent No. 3,270,592.

Basically, the improvements which are the subject of the presentinvention have to do with increasing the utility of Work centering androtating apparatus, and with the provision of portable apparatus of thischaracter. Regarding utility, the invention makes possible the rotationof workpieces such as pipe in opposite directions without removing thepipe from between the work gripping jaws, while at the same timeretaining the advantages of driving the jaws and workpiece as by meansof links and levers in the manner to be described, overcoming thedisadvantages of prior drives that include undesirable and expensivecomplexity.

As will be seen, the environment of the invention includes a carrierhaving a horizontal central axis of rotation, pivot members supported onthe carrier to have pivot axes spaced about the central axis andparallel thereto, bearing structure supporting the carrier for rotation,levers operatively connected with the pivot members to simultaneouslypivot such members, a drive including a drive rotor rotatable clockwiseand counter-clockwise about the central axis, and links operativelyconnected with the rotor and levers to transmit rotary drive from therotor to the levers and thereby pivot the pivot members. The improvementin this area comprises work gripping jaws integral with the pivotmembers and having work release positions in which each jaw is elongatedin a direction substantially normal to a plane passing through thecentral axis and the axis of the pivot member integral with that jaw,the lever operatively connected with that pivot member then extendingsubstantially radially with respect to the central axis, and the jawshaving work gripping faces generally convex toward the central axis.Typically, each jaw has wings extending symmetrically at opposite sidesof the pivot member integral with that jaw; each jaw has terminalsspaced apart in the jaw elongation direction, the jaws being rotatableby the pivot members so that the jaw terminals define cylindrical lociabout the pivot member axes. adjacent cylindrical loci overlapping; andeach jaw face defines two parallel rows of serrations.

As regards portability, the invention affords the mounting of the driveapparatus as well as threading and reamnited States Patent Patented Dec.3, 1968 ing equipment upon a tripod base, in the unusually effectivemanner to be described.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as thedetails of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understoodfrom the following detailed description of the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the complete portable apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 22 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hollow spindle or carrier;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 44 of FIG. 2 and showing thejaws locked clockwise to grip work;

FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 4, but showing the jaws lockedcounterclockwise to grip work;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a jaw and its pivot member;

FIG. 7 is a view taken on line 77 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a view like FIG. 4, but showing the jaws in neutral orunlocked position; and

FIG. 9 is a section taken on line 99 of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a housing 10 is shown as having a base 10amounted on the table 11 of a tripod support 11a \having legs 12interconnected at 13 so as to be portable. The housing in turn supportsinternal annular bearings 14 and 15 respectively receiving left andright flanges 16 and 17 of a spindle or carrier 18. Retainer rings 19and 20 carried by the housing engage the flanges to retain the carrieragainst endwise displacement within the housing.

The carrier has a horizontal central axis of rotation 21 and has ahollow bore 22 through which work such as the pipe 23 is insertible tobe gripped, centered and rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, as willappear. Likewise, the end shrouds 24 of the housing have openings 25 topass the work.

The carrier 16 supports parallel pivot members such as rods 26 havingpivot axes 27 equally spaced at 90 degree intervals about the centralaxis 21, as better seen in FIG. 8. Like jaws 37 are attached to theextreme left and right ends of the pivot members, as by keys 28, therebyto define left and right jaw sets, the jaws at opposite ends of anypivot member remaining in axial alignment. Levers or cranks 30 areattached as by keys to the pivot rods or members 26 at a locationintermediate the flanges 16 and 17 as seen in FIGS. 2 and 8, forsimultaneously rotating the pivot members in response to operation of adrive assembly. The latter includes a drive rotor in the form of a ringgear 31 supported by and rotatable relative to the carrier 18 and aboutcentral axis 21. Links 32 are pivotally connected at 33 and 34 to thedrive rotor and levers 30 to transmit rotary drive from the rotor to thelevers thereby to pivot the pivot members 26. The drive may also beconsidered to include a reversible electric motor 35 driving a pinion 36meshing with the ring gear as seen in FIG. 7.

In accordance with the invention, the jaws 37 have work releasepositions as seen in FIG. 8 in which each jaw is elongated in adirection substantially normal to an axial radial plane 38 passingthrough the central axis 21 and the axis 27 of the pivot member 26integral with that jaw. Further, the lever 30 connected with pivotmember 26 then extends substantially radially with respect to thecentral axis, in the sense that pivot connection 34 is also intersectedby the plane 38. As will be seen, this construction affordssubstantially equalized clockwise and counterclockwise forcetransmission to the jaws, and provides for sufiicient rocking of thejaws in clockwise and counterclockwise sense as to enable gripping andcentering of extremely small diameter workpieces. Note in this regard,the additional advantage that the pipe 23 need not be axially withdrawnfrom the housing to enable overcenter jaw adjustment to facilitateshifting from clockwise to counterclockwise driving or vice versa. Thepipe may be left in place, and all that is required is a reversal of thedirection of rotary drive to ring gear 31, since the jaws for exampleshift from FIG. 4 to FIG. 5 configuration or vice versa, passing throughthe neutral or work release configuration as seen in FIG. 8. This needfor reversal may arise for example after the user has inserted the pipeand he determines that a left-hand thread is to be cut rather than aright-hand thread. He need not, in other words, pre-adjust the jaws inaccordance with the thread to be cut, before inserting the pipe.

More specifically, each jaw has two wings 37a extending symmetrically atopposite sides of the axis 27, and terminals 37b. The latter definecylindnical loci about the pivot member axis, adjacent loci 40 havingoverlapping relation as seen in FIG. 4. In this regard, the radii of thecylindrical loci 40 are substantially equal to the spacing of the pivotaxes 27 from the central axis 21. The jaw faces 42 are generally convextoward the central axis 21 throughout their pivoting, and they eachdefine two parallel rows 43 of serrations as seen in FIGS. 2 and 6, agroove 44 separating those rows. The spindle or carrier 18 has a seriesof flats 46, one for each lever, to limit extreme pivoting of the leversat such time as the terminals 37b approach the central axis 21.

Pivoting of the jaws in response to rotation of the gear Wheel isfurther facilitated by means frictionally resisting rotation of thecarrier. Such a means may take the form of the brake shoe urged againstthe drum surface 51 of the spindle by the band 53. The latter is in turnurged by a spring 52, as seen in FIG. 7. I aw pivoting centers the workso that the jaws then grip the centered work, following which the pivotmembers drive the spindle in rotation against resistance imposed by thebrake, and the gripped work is thereby rotated.

FIGS. 1 and 7 also illustrate the provision of beam structure such asparallel rods 54 carried by the housing bosses 55 to project in thegeneral direction of the central axis 21, the rods being shiftableendwise in the bosses if desired. Portability is facilitated by completeremoval of the rods from the bosses. The beam structure carries pipethreading means generally indicated at 56, and which may have the formand construction as described in my copending application for US.Letters Patent, Serial No. 335,022, now patent No. 3,274,627. Such meansis supported on a carriage 57 having arms 58 integral with sockets 59through which the rods 54 project. As the thread chasers of unit 56 cutthe rotating pipe, the carriage slides along rods 54. A tapered pipe endreamer 60 is also carried on the carriage, as by support structure 61.The reamer is advanced toward the pipe end by pressing against a pusher62 movable axially in socket 61, the pusher being integral with thereamer.

I claim:

1. In portable apparatus of the character described including a carrierhaving a horizontal central axis of rotation, pivot members supported onthe carrier to have pivot axes spaced about said central axis andparallel thereto, bearing structure supporting the carrier for rotation,levers operatively connected with the pivot members to simultaneouslypivot said members, a drive including a drive rotor rotatable clockwiseand counterclockwise about said central axis, and links operativelyconnected with the rotor and levers to transmit rotary drive from therotor to said levers and thereby pivot the pivot members, theimprovement comprising work gripping jaws integral with the pivotmembers and having work release positions in which each jaw is elongatedin a direction substantially normal to an axial radial plane passingthrough the central axis and the axis of the pivot member integral withthat jaw,

the lever operatively connected with that pivot member then extendingsubstantially radially with respect to the central axis, the jaws havingwork gripping faces generally convex toward said central axis, and stopshoulders on the carrier to limit pivoting of the levers acting to pivotthe jaws, said levers and stop shoulders being axially spaced from saidjaws.

2. The combination of claim 1, in which each jaw has wings extendingsymmetrically at opposite sides of the axis of the pivot member integralwith that jaw, therebeing two axially spaced sets of said jaws, each setincluding four jaws.

3. The combination of claim 1, in which each jaw has terminals spacedapart in said elongation direction, the jaws being rotatable about saidpivot members so that said terminals define cylindrical loci about thepivot member axes, adjacent cylindrical loci having overlappingrelation.

4. The combination of claim 1, in which each jaw face defines twoparallel rows of serrations.

5. The combination of claim 1, including a support for the bearingstructure and including a housing, beam structure carried by the supportto project in the general direction of said central axis, and pipethreading means carried by said beam structure in axially spacedrelation to said housing.

6. The combination of claim 5, in which said support includes a tripodmounting said housing, said beam structure being carried by the housing.

7. The combination of claim 4 including a reamer carried by said beamstructure and tapering toward said housing in axially spaced relationthereto.

8. The combination of claim 1, including means within the housing toresist rotation of the carrier.

9. The combination of claim 3, in which said cylindrical loci have radiisubstantially equal to the spacing of the pivot axes from the centralaxis.

10. For use in gripping and rotating an elongated workpiece about acentral axis, at least four work gripping jaws having pivot axes spacedabout said central axis and parallel thereto, the jaws having workrelease position in which each jaw is elongated in a directionsubstantially normal to an axial radial plane passing through thecentral axis and the pivot axis of that jaw, each jaw having terminalsspaced apart in said elongation direction and at opposite sides of thejaw pivot axis and each jaw having a work gripping face generally convextoward said central axis, and means to support and simultaneously pivotsaid jaws about said pivot axes so that said terminals definecylindrical loci about the pivot axes, adjacent cylindrical loci havingoverlapping relation, said means including levers, and stop shoulders tolimit pivoting of said levers, said stop shoulders and levers beingaxially spaced from said jaws.

11. The combination of claim 10 in which each jaw has wings extendingsymmetrically at opposite sides of the jaw pivot axis, the wingsdefining said jaw faces to have parallel rows of serrations.

12. The combination of claim 10 in which said cylindrical loci haveradii substantially equal to the spacing of the pivot axes from thecentral axis.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,493,995 1/ 1950 Nowka 82-422,768,550 10/1956 Ingwer et al. 7773 K 2,980,434 4/1961 Hoffman 279-106FOREIGN PATENTS 546,709 4/ 1956 Belgium.

LEONIDAS VLACHOS, Primary Examiner.

